The Nowitzki Subterfuge.

Amy all but skipped down the stairs to her car. Dinner tonight had been beyond all her expectations tonight. Sheldon had not only found second base recently, but done so so confidently. Tonight though, their 'make out' session had gotten pretty heavy.

Part of her had been tempted to leave 4A and go straight across the hall to share the news with her bestie, but now as she buckled herself into her car she realised she wanted to keep tonight's events for her and Sheldon only.

The sound of him groaning as he had pulled away reluctantly, and the look in his eyes as he stared down at her, was all Amy needed to know that while others may consider their relationship unconventional for her and Sheldon it was more than alright.

As she sat at her dressing table removing the small amount of make-up she had put on for tonight's date, Amy smiled as she remembered Sheldon's light and teasing mood. She had commented on how surprised she was at his move from no unscheduled touching to their recent kissing, fondling sessions. He had smiled, that superior smile she loved so much, and informed her he was not the predictable robot everyone had him pegged as.

When she chuckled he had indignantly asked if she thought she knew him that well. He had then proceeded to challenge her knowledge by asking her a series of questions about himself. The forfeit should she get any wrong, he told her, would be him leaving her a series of clues as to their next date and if she failed to solve them too she would miss out on a treat. Amy still thought the 'treat' was likely to be a trip to some comic book convention, but his enthusiasm made her smile and his delight when she had in fact got one question wrong made her determined to solve all his silly clues before next date night.

How was she to know he had, without telling her, decided her pet-name should in fact be 'little moth'. As insects go it was not her favourite but it beat Gollum that's for sure! So challenge now set she had a task ahead of her she was informed smugly.

Just as she got into bed Sheldon sent her a text.

Amy, I hope you enjoyed tonight's date night as much as I did. Your first clue to next weeks date will be on twitter!

Pleasant dreams Little Moth! SC x

Amy smiled as she fell asleep that night.

73

Sitting at his desk the next day Sheldon read the email again frowning. It had been years since he had even thought of her and yet there it was, her name. Normally he would hit delete and move on, but he couldn't. Reading the message again he leant forward slowly and began to type. Hitting send he sat back and waited. He was pretty sure she would reply instantly; and he was rewarded by the ping of his email as her reply hit his in-box. Glancing at the confirmation Sheldon closed his emails and sent a text to his friends.

Leaving his office with his bag slung across his chest Sheldon left the Caltech campus. He saw an unfamiliar car in the car-park and as he approached cautiously she wound down the window and waved. Nodding in acknowledgement Sheldon moved to climb onto the passenger seat. Muttering "hello" and buckling himself into the car Sheldon said nothing else. Staring out of the window watching her take them both further away from the university.

"Where are we going?" He asked eventually, unable to stand not knowing any longer.

"My place." she smiled. "I thought it would be better to go somewhere we wouldn't be disturbed."

73

"Where's Sheldon?" Penny asked that evening, as she glanced around at her boyfriend, their friends and her bestie, all sat in their normal spaces around the table.

"You didn't get the text?" Howard smirked. "The notification that Dr Cooper would not be attending tonight's evening meal because 'scientific matters of greater importance' demanded his attention?"

Amy glared at Howard before smiling at Penny. "He had a meeting. Unexpected. I offered to bring his burger home for him but he said he would not require this as he was sure he would be offered food at the meeting."

"Really? That's not like him. Willing to eat food from an unapproved source." Leonard pointed out. "Did he say who the meeting was with?"

"No just an old acquaintance who had made some remarkable strides but who wanted Sheldon's advice."

Shrugging Penny said "Oh, well one lemonade less! What's everyone else having?" With Sheldon quickly forgotten the group sat chatting happily, relaxed that they could eat and drink freely without being burdened by Sheldon's time schedule and conversation parameters. However, realising some time later that they had been in the restaurant far longer than normal, they paid the bill and slowly made their way to their cars.

"You want to come back with us, see if he is home?" Leonard asked Amy.

"No thanks, I will text him later." And with a wave she drove home.

"OK, so who else thinks it is weird that Dr Whackadoodle is talking science with an undisclosed person? Sheldon doesn't go anywhere without singing it from the rooftops. Who is it?" Howard demanded once they had watched Amy drive away.

"It will be nothing," Leonard shrugged. "Probably just trying to avoid Penny questioning him again about his relationship with Amy. Since that train ride she wont leave it alone; even I feel like I was on that wretched train I have heard the story so many times!"

"But it was so romantic!" Raj grinned. "And they have been so happy. I mean who'd have thought Sheldon Cooper could render Penny jealous!"

"Enough!" Leonard snapped. Opening the door he stopped short. "Sheldon! What's going on?"

As the others leant around Leonard to peer into the room they also looked surprised.

"Leonard, good you are home. I need a ride."

"What's going on Sheldon?"

"I am moving out. Tonight."

"What? Why?"

"Because I have been neglecting my work, because I have been made an offer I would be foolish to turn down. Because if I go now you can take me and I wont have to struggle with all this," he waved his arms at the surrounding bags and whiteboards, "on the bus in the morning."

Moving into the room Raj asked "Where exactly are you going?"

"I am moving in with Ramona." Sheldon grinned.

73

"Explain to me exactly what the letter said." Penny said gently the following evening as she handed Amy a glass of white wine and a tissue.

"It said he had enjoyed our time together. He realised now my being in his life was a distraction and he needed to focus to achieve his goals. He wished me well in my career and signed it Dr Sheldon Cooper."

"I'll kill him!" Penny hissed. Pulling a now sobbing Amy into her arms. "And this was hand delivered?"

"It must have been, no stamp or address, just my name hand printed on the envelope."

Standing abruptly Penny crossed the room opened the door, then not bothering to knock she pushed open the door to 4A shouting "Where is he?"

"Penny hi. I take it you mean Sheldon?" Leonard sighed.

"Yes in mean Sheldon. Where is he?"

"He's gone."

"What? Leonard if you are covering for him."

"Penny he left last night."

"And you didn't think to tell me?"

"Well to be honest I was expecting him in work today, hoped to talk some sense into him, but he has gone and I honestly don't know when he will be back."

As Penny calmed down she realised Sheldon's whiteboards were missing. His desk was also missing the laptop and stationary; but his toys, the figurines and crap he treasured so highly were still displayed around the room.

"Well he cant have gone far or for long. There is no way he'd leave his precious flash stuff behind."

As she spoke she moved towards Sheldon's room and entering saw the comic books neatly stored in their plastic coverings, in their tidy boxes on the shelves and the posters adorning the walls. The only change seemed to be the half open wardrobe door which pushing wider Penny saw was empty.

"Leonard who did he meet yesterday?"

"Ramona."

73

"What did you do to him?" Amy sniffed when Penny came back a little later, Amy was still on the sofa nursing the wine. Her red-rimmed eyes looked up at Penny and noticed for the first time since she had walked back in that Penny was no longer angry.

"Penny?"

"I didn't see him. Look why don't you stay here tonight, we can make it a girls night?"

"What happened?" Amy stood up. "What did he say?"

"He wasn't there Amy. He has left."

"He cant have left. He has work, it is date night next Thursday. Penny what's going on?"

Sighing, knowing it was going to be down to her to break the news to her friend, Penny took a large slug of her own drink and began to talk.

73

A/N: Having lost my muse there for a while I am back! I hope this doesn't disappoint. I aim to update every couple of days at least at first. Would love to know what you think.:-)

Ali x